I just scored some awesome seats with speakers in the headrest and I'll be replacing the speakers soon. There's plenty of "how to's" here but I want to make sure I purchase the best tool to remove the hog rings. Here's a couple at e-bay and they include new rings. Any suggestions are appreciated
You can just cut the old ones with dikes and then use the hog ring pliers to install new ones. The hog rings are kind of like a triangle with an open end and two of the corners fit into the hog ring pliers and when you squeeze them they bend to form a triangle. The old ones I just cut right in the middle of the closed end and they come right apart. Mike
[This message has been edited by TXGOOD (edited 09-26-2013).]
You can just cut the old ones with dikes and then use the hog ring pliers to install new ones. The hog rings are kind of like a triangle with an open end and two of the corners fit into the hog ring pliers and when you squeeze them the metal rod forms a triangle. The old ones I just cut right in the middle of the closed end and they come right apart. Mike
Thanks Mike. Any preference of pliers in the e-bay ads pictured above? Both pliers look a little different.
The ones in the second link don`t look like they are spring loaded which it helps to have them spring loaded. You can preload the hog rings into the pliers and just push them around the two wires you are clipping and they go in pretty easy that way.
[This message has been edited by TXGOOD (edited 09-26-2013).]
The ones in the second link don`t look like they are spring loaded which it helps to have them spring loaded. You can preload the hog rings into the pliers and just push them around the two wires you are clipping and they go in pretty easy that way.
Any heavy duty wire cutter or dykes are fine. Longer the handles, the easier to cut. Your hands will love them. Your never going to reuse the same rings. Same goes for the hog ring install pliers....buy longer handled ones.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 09-26-2013).]
Any heavy duty wire cutter or dykes are fine. Longer the handles, the easier to cut. Your hands will love them. Your never going to reuse the same rings. Same goes for the hog ring install pliers....buy longer handled ones.
I agree with all above that say to just use a set of Dikes to cut the old ones out. I helped my wife redo the covers on her Fiero seats and we used the hog rings on the first one. She wanted to do this mostly by herself so I was letting her do it and helping when needed. On the second seat I ended up using a strong UV resistant Tie Wrap instead of the hog rings. They seem to work fine and were a whole lot easier to use. If you are going to do it I would suggest that you use some Tie Wraps that are rated around 50 lbs and are the black ones that are UV resistant. They have only been in a few months so I don't have long term history on this. We will see how they hold up over the long term, but I can tell you it is a whole lot easier to do than to use Hog Rings.
I agree with all above that say to just use a set of Dikes to cut the old ones out. I helped my wife redo the covers on her Fiero seats and we used the hog rings on the first one. She wanted to do this mostly by herself so I was letting her do it and helping when needed. On the second seat I ended up using a strong UV resistant Tie Wrap instead of the hog rings. They seem to work fine and were a whole lot easier to use. If you are going to do it I would suggest that you use some Tie Wraps that are rated around 50 lbs and are the black ones that are UV resistant. They have only been in a few months so I don't have long term history on this. We will see how they hold up over the long term, but I can tell you it is a whole lot easier to do than to use Hog Rings.
We will have to agree to disagree on this one. Once you get the hang of hog rings they are extremely simple to use. You can hold the two wires together with one hand and with the hog ring already in the pliers you just stab the open end until it hits the back wire and crimp. I can do a bunch in a short period of time.
Snapon makes a great pair, but they come with the snapon price, I think mine cost me 30 bucks 25 years ago. they do though have what looks to be better jaws than ether of those 2.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
If you have a Harbor Freight near you, they also carry a pretty sturdy set of pliers. Agreed that the second set in the OP post are a little weak, aside from not being spring loaded.
[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 09-26-2013).]
Being in Cape Cod I would check where the local lobster fisherman get their supplies, they use hog rings to repair / build their pots. You will get stainless steel rings and a set of pliers that you know you will never wear out.
If you know of any lobster fishermen you can probably just borrow the pliers and get a handfull of rings for nothing.
Being in Cape Cod I would check where the local lobster fisherman get their supplies, they use hog rings to repair / build their pots. You will get stainless steel rings and a set of pliers that you know you will never wear out.
If you know of any lobster fishermen you can probably just borrow the pliers and get a handfull of rings for nothing.
Great idea! I go by Falmouth piers everyday on my way to work!
I have used both hog rings and wire ties. The wire ties have been trouble free for years now. I started with the tuck rods, and it worked so well i finished the seat with them.
[This message has been edited by commerce (edited 09-27-2013).]
the ones on the ebay links are bad news. the best I've found to "Instal"l the new hogrings is a large Pliers used for the old style GM heater hose" ring clamps". A lot of leverage.
the ones on the ebay links are bad news. the best I've found to "Instal"l the new hogrings is a large Pliers used for the old style GM heater hose" ring clamps". A lot of leverage.
Good idea, or if you have a really big set of slip joint pliers take a die grinder or file if you don't mind spending some time at it and just cut the notch in those. I make tools a lot of times when I don't have them.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Steve, where were you when I needed you. My first upholstery venture many long years ago involved the use of regular pliers to try to clamp the rings. I had to hold the hog ring in the pliers with my left thumb and finger while trying to push the ring and upholstery down against wires and springs. At least one of those went through my thumb, stapling it to the bottom of the rear seat. This is a major problem when you're by yourself.
Steve, where were you when I needed you. My first upholstery venture many long years ago involved the use of regular pliers to try to clamp the rings. I had to hold the hog ring in the pliers with my left thumb and finger while trying to push the ring and upholstery down against wires and springs. At least one of those went through my thumb, stapling it to the bottom of the rear seat. This is a major problem when you're by yourself.
ouch, had a friend do that in the cushion room at GM, he did it on purpose to get some time off, he really wasn't all there, is even less there now, I heard he fell of the roof of a 3 decker doing something stupid and is in a wheel chair now, for good.
Better yet get one of these and open your own shop, cheep enough price on this one.
that one has a video showing it working, think about putting a hog ring threw your thumb with that one Charlie. I bet he and you used some not so work safe words that day.
Believe it or not I like this type of pliers best for cutting them off.
Anything plastic will deteriorate sooner or later. Another plus for hog rings is they punch their own holes as you go. You 'could' use any pliers to install them, but like mentioned, you need to grind a groove in the faces to keep the rings from sliding out. Trying to keep it in place with one hand and squeezing it with the other makes it a 2 man job not to mention a few smashed fingers.
I'll go for the first link. 
I bet he and you used some not so work safe words that day.
